Finding Eggman
by PackageHD
Summary: Shadow and Rouge find themselves outside of a small town in the middle of nowhere, join them on their journey to find Eggman. Contains Shadouge, CH2 is out!
1. Chapter 1

Intro.

_The night was quiet, Shadow and Rouge found themselves outside a small farm town in the middle of nowhere. The two have been assigned to do some recon of the area, in hopes of finding Eggman's whereabouts, or possibly one of the missing chaos emeralds that had been stolen. _

Chapter 1 - The Mechanic.

'_It's getting late.' _ Shadow thought to himself. He took one last glance at his watch, reading 4:51 a.m. before he decided to head back to the small motel he and Rouge were staying at. Shadow walked quietly down the dirt road, sulking in his thoughts. '_Why the hell would the doctor be all the way out here? There's NOTHING out here, other than some cattle and farmers, a diner and a small motel. Something is just so… off about this town. I think Rouge feels the same way, though she hasn't said a word to me since we arrived… _

His thoughts were broken when he heard the sound of a truck attempting to start up. He found himself on the outskirts of the town, he didn't notice the mechanic shop when they first arrived. A green hedgehog wearing overalls and clunky boots was working on a tractor when he looked up and saw the ebony hedgehog walking by.

"Well hey there mista', ain't it sorta late to be out and about?"

Shadow glanced over, coming to a stop and crossing his arms. "Just headed back into town for the night. You been in this town for a while?"

The green hedgehog wiped some grease off his hands and walked over to Shadow, continuing the conversation.

"Yeah, say I've been here going on 10 years now. Quiet town, but it's peaceful, out of the way from all this crazy technology and such."

Shadow nodded, he remembered how foreign everything was to him we woke up from his cryogenic slumber.

"Well you're right about it being peaceful, just took a walk to clear my head."

The mechanic nodded, showing a smile.

"Yeah, I gotta say when I seen ya roll into town, ya looked like ya was gonna be trouble. Never seen a hedgehog with stripes like ya self."

Shadow gave a small smirk. "Guess you could say I'm one of a kind. Mind if I ask you something?"

The mechanic nodded, waiting for the question.

"Ever heard of a guy, goes by the name Eggman? Real name Robotnik?"

The mechanic scratched his chin in thought before letting out a deep sigh and replying "Nah sir, can't say I've heard of an Eggface before. He a bad man mista?"

Shadow debated on how much information he should give away. '_I shouldn't give too much away, but the guy seems genuine when he says he doesn't know him.' _

"He wasn't always bad, but yeah, I guess bad could describe him now."

"Well, I don't know how long y'all will be in town, but if I hear anything bout a Eggface or whatever his name was, I'll give ya a holla ya hear?"

Shadow nodded, he was having difficulty following the slang, but he picked up on most of it. He wished the mechanic goodnight, then returned to walking towards the motel.

Once he finally arrived, he found Rouge laid out on the bed, typing something up on her computer. She froze once he entered, meeting his eyes and shooting daggers towards him.

Shadow glanced her up and down. She was wearing one of Shadow's black t-shirt's and black panties, she was obviously getting ready for bed. Shadow on the other hand was, well, Shadow. He had his hover skates on, his white gloves and golden rings. He wore a black t-shirt and black sweats. He also wore a necklace, given to him by Rouge years back.

"What's up with you?" Shadow snarled, shooting daggers right back to his longtime ally. Very rarely did the two hold a grudge against each other, so whatever it was had to be serious.

"You tell me." She responded, somehow with more attitude than Shadow.

Shadow didn't respond, he just let out a deep sigh and walked onto the balcony.

'_I need to smoke.'_

Rouge watched as he walked onto the balcony.

'_Sometimes I wonder if he really cares. Whatever, I have work to focus on right now.' _

Rouge has been typing away since they arrived. Shadow tried to get a room with two beds, since the two had been arguing, but no such luck. Usually, the two shared a bed. They have showed flashes of romantic interest to each other over the years, but nothing has completely blossomed. The two were very professional however, and they didn't mind working together at all, they enjoyed each other's company in fact, well, most of the time. Rouge was just finishing up her report on the town when Shadow returned from his smoke break.

"Gonna shower, want anything while I'm up?"

Rouge looked up, then rolled over and turned off the lamp, leaving Shadow in the dark.

'_Whatever, I'll fix whatever I did tomorrow, I gotta get clean and get what little rest I can.'_

_That's just a little taste of what's to come. Wonder what's bothering Rouge so much, sure isn't like her to show so much attitude and anger towards Shadow. More chapters will follow, so make sure you stay tuned to follow Shadow and Rouge on the journey to find Eggman. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2- Conversations and Hidden Findings._

Rouge found herself awake before Shadow. The clock read 11 am, she rolled out of bed and glared down at her partner. '_Ugh, I should still be mad at him, but look how adorable he is when he sleeps.' _

Shadow was in a deep slumber, Rouge admired how peaceful he was, knowing that when he's awake he has a switch that once it's flipped he's going full ballistic on anyone who pisses him off.

She took one last glance over the sleeping hedgehog before sighing and walking into the bathroom to shower. As she was showering, Shadow woke up. He rolled over and noticed Rouge wasn't there, he felt empty for a moment before he realized she was still in the room, she was just in the shower.

Shadow has never been good with his emotions, let alone expressing them to others, especially the select few he cares about. He deeply cares for Rouge, and it's not that he doesn't want to express himself, it's just that he doesn't know how. He sits up, sliding the necklace Rouge gave him back on and walking over to grab some clothes for the day. He decided on a red hoodie and black track pants. He was just finishing up when Rouge emerged from the bathroom, makeup done and fully clothed. She wore black leggings and a loose crop top that showed plenty of cleavage. She shot Shadow a seductive look and a playful grin. Shadow on the other hand, found himself blushing once he got caught staring.

"Like what you see Shady?" Rouge said with a grin and a chuckle. Shadow didn't find it very funny, so he decided to change the subject.

"What do we need to do today?"

Rouge sighed. '_It's always business with him, rarely pleasure.'_

"We have to keep our eyes and ears open for information regarding the location of Eggman. So, I say we grab some brunch and go from there."

Shadow nodded in agreement, his stomach was growling already. The two walked out together, no words being exchanged, just peace and quiet. They arrived at the small diner and took a seat across from each other.

"Know what you want?" Shadow asked, not even picking up his menu.

"Well I know what YOU want, mr. bacon and waffles lover."

Shadow smirked. "I'm a man of simple taste."

Rouge giggled, picking up her menu and rolling her eyes. "Well one thing's for sure, you're easy to cook for. I think I'm gonna get waffles with eggs and hash browns."

Shadow nodded, waving the waitress over and placing the orders. Once the waitress walked away, Rouge rolled her eyes once more.

"What's wrong?" Shadow noticed the eye roll.

"Seriously? She was totally checking you out."

Shadow gave a slight smirk. "And that bothers you?"

Rouge didn't answer, but the two exchanged a look. There was almost an unspoken rule between the two, they both knew the other cared for them, they just had no idea how deep that went.

"So, did you find anything last night on your walk?" Rouge asked, changing the subject.

"Nah, I talked to a mechanic, but there's not shit out here for Eggman. I say we stay another day or two before we head to the next town."

"Figured. Wish GUN would send other people to do this job, I kinda miss the hardcore stuff we used to do, fighting armies of robots and defusing bombs, stealing jewels and such."

Shadow nodded in agreement. "I miss the action too, but it's not so bad out here with you." He didn't realize what he said until after he said it. He quickly glanced up to find Rouge smiling happily at him.

"You're really sweet when you wanna be, Shady."

"Don't get used to it."

'_Wish it happened often enough where I COULD get used to it.' _Rouge thought to herself.

Deep down, Shadow felt the same way, he wanted to loosen up with his emotions around her, he just struggled.

Soon after, the food arrived and the two began to chow down.

"Slow down Shadow, it's not gonna run from ya" Rouge laughed as Shadow looked up from his food.

After eating for a moment, Shadow broke the short silence between them.

"Remember when we first met?"

"How could I forget?

_11 Years Ago, Top Secret Facility. Rogues POV._

'_These damn vents' she thought to herself, she had been sliding up and down this ventilation system for the last 40 minutes, and quite frankly she was getting exhausted. _

"_Rouge, come in Rouge, I have found the secret weapon facility, it appears to be some sort of hedgehog, like Sonic!"_

"_Topaz, hold position and don't do anything, I'm almost there. If the hedgehog sees me and sees I'm like him, maybe he'll come willingly."_

_Rouge reached the edge of the vent and hopped out, seeing a sound proof glass barrier between her and the hedgehog. The hedgehog before her was black with red stripes along his quills and back. Sure, he looked somewhat like Sonic, but at the same time, he looked nothing like Sonic. _

"_He seems to be sleeping peacefully, should we wake him?" Topaz asked. _

"_Yeah, hopefully he's not the moody type." _

_A buzzer sounded as the side door opened, Rouge entered cautiously as she noticed the hedgehog sitting up off his bed. He had piercing red eyes that screamed anger and pain, he was intimidating to say the least. _

"_Hey there, um, well, what's your name?" Rouge asked, trying not to sound nervous. _

"_You're scared of me." _

"_Huh?" _

"_You're scared of me, bat. That's good, it's what I was designed to do. Scare people, make them fear me."_

"_Well, you're intimidating but you sound ho- I mean you sound nice! Say, what's your name."_

"_You're really persistent with the name thing aren't you."_

"_That I am."_

"_If you tell me yours, then I'll tell you mine."_

"_Fine, I'm Rouge the Bat. This here is my partner Topaz." _

"_Hmph."_

"_...well, what's your name?"_

"_It's Shadow… Shadow the Hedgehog."_

_Rouge smirked at the hedgehog. "Well Shadow, why don't you come with me and Topaz, we have someone that really wants to meet you."_

_Shadow simply crossed his arms, shooting daggers towards the duo. _

"_Easy there Shadow, we're here to help you, not to fight you or give you any trouble."_

"_Who do you work for?"_

"_GUN, a military organization."_

"_I know what GUN is, they're responsible for…"_

"_Responsible for what, Shadow."_

"_Nothing. I suggest you leave."_

"_Not without you! Now c'mon, we're only here to help, you have my word."_

"_Your word doesn't mean shit to me, but the Doctor hasn't been back in weeks… I guess some fresh air couldn't hurt."_

"I had no idea when we met that day we would be where we are now, partners, even friends." Shadow responded.

Rouge smirked in response. "I think about it all the time, our adventures, everything we've been through. You've always had my back Shadow, I know I've told you thanks before, but I mean it, knowing I can trust you makes life so much easier."

Shadow smirked in response, giving a slight nod before waving for the check. "For the record, it goes both ways, no telling where I'd be without you keeping my head on straight."

Rouge had a chuckle at that, she knew it was true. Shadow could become unhinged so easily, she had to keep him from making life altering choices many times. After Shadow paid the bill, he sat back across from Rouge.

"Ready?"

"Actually, there's something I wanna talk about."

Shadow looked his ally up and down, trying to detect where this was going.

"What's up?" He asked in a serious tone.

"About last night…"

"Rouge, you don't have to say anything. We have our hiccups like anyone else, we're good now, right?"

She nodded slowly, biting her lip nervously before speaking.

"Well… I still wanna tell you."

"I'm all ears."

"I was upset that you forgot my birthday."

Shadow stared for a moment and let out a deep sigh of disappointment.

"Rouge… I'm sorry, you know I'm no good with special dates, I can hardly keep up with the day of the week, it's not like I don't care, I'm just bad with that kinda stuff."

"I know Shadow… it just bothered me, that's all."

"Well look, once we get all this stuff figured out today, I'll go out and do whatever you want with you, deal?"

Rouge smirked at her partners words. "Deal."

The two shook hands and headed out, they decided to split up and talk to locals about Eggman. Rouge went to talk to the clerk at the corner store while Shadow went back to the motel to question the manager. After about 30 minutes, the two met back up at the diner.

"Find anything out Shady?"

"Not a damn thing. You?"

"No, nothing."

Shadow sighed, wrapping an arm around Rouge as they began to walk towards the motel.

"Any ideas?"

"Well, we could give it a day or two then go to the next town, something about this place is just… odd."

"Well, that's something we both can agree on!"

The two shared a quick laugh as they entered the motel room. Once inside, Rouge plopped down on the bed, sitting on the edge while Shadow laid out next to her.

"Well, we got plenty of time to kill, what you think Shady?"

"I owe you some time, but maybe there's something we're missing, you know? I feel like maybe we're looking at this the wrong way. Eggman could easily be using an alias."

"It's not impossible, but it's not like him. He's so narcissistic, he wants everyone to know his name. I'd be shocked if he changed up now."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, the only noise coming from the air conditioner.

"Shadow, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"What do you think life would be like if we hadn't met?"

Shadow pondered it for a moment, then he sat up to look at Rouge before he answered.

"Honestly? Shitty, you're the closest thing I've ever had to a friend, well, other than Maria. I feel like if we hadn't met, I wouldn't be alive right now, you know how crazy I can be."

"Yeah, I know all the trouble you tend to get yourself into. It's good though, I knew what I signed up for when we became partners. Anyways, speaking of owing me time, I really don't feel like going back out, can we just stay in and talk?"

"If that's what you want, sure."

"Thanks Shadow."

"Don't thank me, it's not a chore to be around you, it's… actually tolerable."

Rouge laid back next to him, grinning from ear to ear.

"You sure know how to make me happy Shadow."

"I try to."

"Well, you do a great job." Rouge leaned over and wrapped her arms around him. It was another kind of unspoken rule. They didn't date, but the deep compassion was there, no denying it. Shadow didn't complain when she showed affection, nor did she when he showed it. Shadow returned the embrace, holding her against his chest.

The two didn't say a word, Rouge just listened to Shadows heart beat while she laid on top of him. Eventually, they drifted off to sleep, not to be awoken until late into the night.

Later that night.

Shadow had been lying awake in bed for around 15 minutes now. He wanted to get up and do some more investigating, but Rouge was still sound asleep on his chest. He was debating on just waking her up or waiting when she woke up on her own.

"Ah, hey there handsome." She said with a tired and flirtatious tone.

"Damn, it's about time you woke up!" Shadow said with a hint of humor in his tone.

"Oh shut up!" She exclaimed as she rolled off the bed, stretching before setting her eyes on Shadow.

"Ready to work?"

"Sure sure, let me change clothes and I'll be ready."

With that, Rouge went to change in the bathroom while Shadow walked outside to wait for her. Instead of splitting up, they worked together this time.

"So, the plan is for you to crawl through the vent and get the manager's office open, once inside unlock the door so I can get in and we can look for any records of Eggman in the area. Sound good?"

Rouge nodded in agreement, Shadow gave her a boost into the vent and she was off. Shadow patiently waited, time seemed to slow down while he was waiting on Rouge. '_She's taking longer than usual… hope she's alright.' _

Just then, the door slides open, Rouge standing on the other side with a big grin on her face.

"Come on in Shady, let's get to work." She always found a way to make everything flirtatious.

Shadow scanned through the file cabinets while Rouge searched the managers computer.

"What kinda manager leaves his computer on? I didn't even have to enter the password."

"Make sure you delete the history so he knows we weren't here."

"Shadow, I'm not an amateur." She said with a bit of an attitude, an eye roll to top it all off.

Shadow ignored her, he was still scanning when a name caught his eye. _Bokkun._

"Rouge, looks like the Doctors messenger robot was here." He flips open the file and sees payment fees and a blueprint.

'_Jackpot.'_

"What all was in the file Shadz?"

"Blueprints and payments for something. Assuming these are bribes to keep the manager quiet. Eggman was smart to use his robot, he's taking a different approach to this."

"He's being cautious, that's unlike him."

Shadow sat back in thought for a moment. "Maybe it's not him we should be worried about, what if he's working with someone else?"

"EGGMAN? WORK WITH SOMEONE ELSE? PAHHHH, good one Shadow." she said while trying to hold back her laughter.

"It's not crazy, think about it Rouge. He's smart but maybe he gave in to all the failed attempts."

Rouge's expression went from smiling to serious, once she calmed herself from laughing she put some thought into the matter.

"We should keep all options open until we get solid proof. Let's head back to the motel and check out these blueprints." She said, grabbing Shadows arm.

"Agreed."

_That's chapter 2 done. Chapter 1 wasn't even 1K words, but I got over 2K this chapter, as I slowly get back used to writing the chapters will likely continue to lengthen. I went with lots of dialog in this chapter, let me know what you guys think! This chapter was more about setting the stage of Shadow and Rouges relationship rather than any serious plot changes. I'll make sure to throw a little conflict into the next chapter to spice it up a bit, stay tuned as I'm working on CH3 ASAP. _


End file.
